Desperado's license to sell liquor suspended

Desperado's Cabaret, a Lafayette Parish gentleman's club raided by federal, state and local agents last week, has lost its liquor license for at least 30 days.

The Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control Commissioner Troy Hebert granted an emergency suspension of the license following a Dec. 5 raid.

The Advertiser reports ( http://bit.ly/SWO7bn) Hebert extended the suspension for 30 days following testimony during an administrative hearing. Hebert asked Desperado's to provide additional information to ATC and scheduled another hearing for Jan. 9.

Drug Enforcement Agents spearheaded the Dec. 5 raid following an investigation launched in 2010 that involved undercover purchases of illegal drugs at the club, according to the federal complaint.

The sweep netted the arrest of several Desperado's employees on drug charges. One employee was arrested for drug charges and prostitution after she was caught in the VIP room with a patron, a University of Louisiana at Lafayette professor. The professor was also arrested on a prostitution charge.

James Panos, 54, of Broussard, the owner-operator of Desperado's, was arrested by federal agents on a charge of maintaining a drug-involved premises.

The federal complaint accuses Panos of allowing drug sales and prostitution to freely take place at Desperado's, and accuses him of charging employees fees to sell drugs or sex to the club's customers.

Undercover agents allegedly bought drugs at the club and were offered sex in the VIP room, according to the complaint. An extra fee was charged for use of the room, court records show.